I agree with pp that you should definitely track your nutrition. You will still see some benefit from tracking for just a week or two so that you know what your normal intake is like. It will also be beneficial to incorporate some strength training into your routine. I, too, get caught up in running and sometimes forget to have days for strength training. It really is important to build up more muscle while you are burning calories from running. Sparkpeople has some great videos you can do (with or without equipment). You can also use youtube to find new strength videos if you do not have access to a gym.

Unfortunately, when it comes to running, it's not just about what you eat but about how much. Running is a very high calorie burning activity and it automatically puts the body (*including the brain*) into a calorie-seeking mode. It is almost impossible to eat at a calorie deficit while on a running program without tracking your calories because the body and brain will find ways to get calories even when you're not consciously paying attention. It may sound crazy, but unless you weigh and track every bite, you could easily be eating 2800 calories/day -- of vegetables, lean meats, and whole grains, yes, but it doesn't really matter - the point is that it's not a calorie deficit and a calorie deficit = weight loss.

Track all those healthy foods and stay in the calorie range SP gives you based on your activity level (make sure you enter your running so it knows how many calories to give you!). You WILL see the weight come off over time.

I second (third?) the strength training recommendation - when in a caloric deficit to lose weight, ST is essential or else you'll be burning off muscle which is catastrophic. Much better to do ST 2-3x/week for 30 mins and burn off fat instead.

Any good workout program includes BOTH cardio and strength training. It sounds like you have the cardio down a,ready with your running, but you should definitely be including strength training as well. ST is actually a very efficient fat burner when combined with cardio and watching your intake.

You don't need fancy machines or weights - you can get in a great strength workout using just your own bodyweight for resistance eg. squats, planks, pushups.

I do tend (or attempt to) eat healthily. I'm a mostly vegetarian only eating meat when I know where it came from... But I guess I should pay closer attention to my foods than I have been. I take healthy snacks to school so I don't come home starving and raid the cupboards but I mostly make myself TV dinners, etc. I need to figure out some good recipes that are healthy and don't take all night because I live alone and should spend every minute doing homework (which I'm not right now haha). I always think I'm eating healthy but maybe I need to take a closer look and actually count ?

Weight loss isn't about tuts exercise you do! It's about the food you eat. To put it bluntly,you can't outrun a bad diet, and even if you are eating healthy, you could be over (or under!) Eating and sabotaging your weight loss by not creating enough of a deficit for weight loss. With running, it's important to eat enough to support your activity while maintaining a deficit for weight loss. The less you have to lose, the smaller the deficit can be... because you don't weight over 200 lbs, you can't expert nor achieve 2 lb weight losses each week.

You can generally reasonably achieve 3% weight loss per week of your total weight loss goal per week, and that will slow down the closer you get. That means your goal date may be too aggressive. Normally I'd crunch some number for you, but I'm not at my computer so easy calculations aren't handy for me. To figure out your goal for each week, multiply 20 times .03 - or replace that 20 with whatever your current goal may be.

I agree with Zorbs, you need to track your nutrition to see how much you are eating and what you are eating (protein, carbs etc.)

When I started running, the scale didn't move much but there was a HUGE difference in how toned my body became etc. because I gained lean muscle mass in my legs. Don't let the scale control everything!

To amp up your calorie burn, try some interval training you burn way more calories this way. Also, and I know you are busy, but strength training shreds fat too. Strength training is CRUCIAL to any weight loss program. You won't get big or bulky, just ripped and toned and sexy.

Check out my photo gallery, I have been doing P90X and have only lost 8 lbs since I started doing it, but it looks like i lost 20 lbs because it is all lean.

I'm a 20 year old college student and busy as can be trying to keep up with all my classes and homework. I recently (a little over a month ago) began the 5k Your Way plan (i.e. Week 1-Walk 1 minute, Run 3 minutes (x7)) and I am proud to say I actually stuck with it and ran my first ever 5k on February 9, 2013 which was called, Cupid's Chase. I can now run consistently for 40 minutes without stopping and it ends up being about 3.5-3.9 miles if the map is accurate on Spark People. I am at a weight of 155.0 lbs and it hasn't been dropping despite my running 3x/week. I want to maximize my weight loss and would like to know if running is enough and if not, what else I should try to incorporate into my already busy schedule. I would like to lose about 20 lbs before May 8, 2013 (my 21st birthday). Please help!

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